Archive for: November 2014

Stepping though the arched glass door, your sense of gravity is immediately lost. Your body shoots up as four 1600 horsepower fans glide you through the giant wind tunnel. Legs and arms become heavy props that must consciously be stabilized throughout your flight.

No, you did not just drink the fizzy lifting drink in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory – this is the indoor skydiving experience.

For the first time in history, this sensation has been combined with one of the biggest international sporting events to create the World Cup of Indoor Skydiving.

In January the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) and International Parachuting Commission voted iFly Austin as the arena to host the international competition. Although there are more than 28 indoor skydiving facilities worldwide, the Austin wind tunnel is regarded as one of the most advanced establishments.

On Nov. 14 skydiving teams from Canada, Czech Republic, Poland, Monaco, France, Mexico, Sweden, Russia and the United States gathered at iFly Austin for the competition.

“It’s nice to have international competition to judge and see where you stand on a world scale,” said Mike Silva, a Team USA member.

Judges also flew in from all over the world to crown a winner of the three-day competition.

Although judging a sport through a glass tunnel is seemingly difficult, Ron Miasnikov, chief judge from Israel, explains that indoor skydiving is much easier to judge than outdoor, which is solely based on video footage from the air.

“It’s so friendly for the people who can just sit outside the tunnel and watch and know what is going on,” said Sergio O’Farrill, a member from Team Mexico. “Much more friendly than doing it from the sky where you don’t know what’s going on during a jump.”

Formation Skydiving (open and female), Vertical Formation Skydiving, Freefly and Freestyle are the five events that indoor flyers compete in.

“The judges base their score on creativity, difficulty and execution,” said Chris Dixon, an iFLY Austin instructor and Team USA competitor.

While formation relies on team synchronization, much like figure skating, the free fly events are more individual and artistic. Although each event has distinct movements and goals, freestyle is the most popular among flyers and spectators alike. During the event, the best flyers in the world show off their style and skill by flipping and twirling at high speeds around the tunnel.

“Hopefully we get more teams involved and people will be interested in coming to this type of competition,” O’Farrill said.

However, indoor skydiving isn’t just for professionals. Silva has instructed flyers from 2 to 98-years-old.

“There’s nothing as cool as feeling what it’s like to fly,” Silva said.

To view photos from the World Cup of Indoor Skydiving, follow this link: http://www.photosnack.com/AB33ZY15/world-cup-of-indoor-skydiving.html

To view the results of the World Cup of Indoor Skydiving, follow this link: http://www.photosnack.com/AB33ZY15/world-cup-of-indoor-skydiving-results.html

While strolling through the tree-lined streets of South Austin’s Zilker neighborhood, just south of Zilker Park and Barton Springs Road, old, quaint homes contrast modern, lavish homes. The striking incongruence prompts an internal uneasiness. The scene shares similarities across many other historic neighborhoods in Austin, Texas.

The Little House before the relocation process began. Photo by Shelby Custer.

According to Politifact.com, the population of Austin increases by about 40 to 60 people each day, so a change in landscape is inevitable. Thus, old homes are demolished almost daily. But, for some, it’s important to maintain the historical integrity and culture of Austin’s original neighborhoods.

On October 27, a 1926 home on 811 Kinney Ave. went before the local historical commission to be deemed worthy of preservation or its opposite, destruction. In the end, the board ruled the home historically insignificant.

The owner of 811, Alice Parrish, age 68, grew up in the Zilker neighborhood. She rode her bike by 811 as a young child and purchased the house in 2006.

“I love to save things,” said Parrish. “And I end up thinking the little house and I will just grow old together.”

Her neighbor, Ben Livingston equally hopes to save the old home from demolition. He’s resided in the Zilker neighborhood for 17 years.

Ben Livingston is the new owner of The Little House. He’s resided in the Zilker neighborhood for 17 years.Photo by Helen Fernandez.

“These walls [of 811] are like old people; the walls have stories,” said Livingston. “Can you imagine what stories these walls have seen after 80 years? This house has a lot to talk about.”

He describes trinkets of history found within the home. There’s an old wooden board that’s imprinted with the words, “Calcasieu Lumber.” Owned by two brothers, “the company employed builders and became a one-stop shop for those looking for a new home. During Austin’s residential building boom in the 1920s Calcasieu built many of the homes that created the subdivisions surrounding downtown Austin,” wrote the Austin History Center.

In the home built with redwood flooring, Livingston discovered other memorabilia including old marbles underneath the house and a newspaper dating back to 1958, which had been rolled up and stuffed into a chimney hidden behind a wall.

Parrish and Livingston paired-up to preserve the home’s history. With the help Brown and Sons House Movers, Livingston mounted the house on a tractor-trailer and carefully transported the home to its new abode, 36 miles away in Wimberley, Texas.

In a note written and tacked to the wall of 811, Parrish wrote in the voice of the old home:

“I’m so thrilled and excited that I’m going to my new land and sanctuary in Wimberley. I know that you will take great, gracious pride in my well-being.”

With love,

811 – The Little House.”

Alice Parish talks about her thoughts on moving her beloved home to Wimberly. Photo by Shelby Custer

One old home was saved from its demise, but many more are turned into rubble and replaced by “McMansions” in the South Austin neighborhood.

Another neighbor, Susan Willis, who’s lived in her home that was built in the 1950s for 38 years, said, “I feel like I’m losing my sky due to McMansions and mega-condos. I feel claustrophobic; we’re getting closed-in on.”

Like many others in the neighborhood, including Livingston and his wife, Willis doesn’t necessarily appreciate the change in her neighborhood’s environment and landscape.

“It was once a friendly neighborhood, but many of the new homeowners are shut-off. There’s a fence around their house; the gate shuts automatically when they drive in. We never see the families; they want nothing to do with us,” said Willis.

Livingston adds, “We were once able to just show up at neighbors’ houses. We didn’t have to call or text before coming over.”

Ben Livingston was heavily involved in the process of relocation for The Little House. He is now the owner of The Little House. Photo by Shelby Custer.

The new, modern architecture also annoys many long-standing neighborhood inhabitants. Willis describes some recent homes constructed of cinder blocks as resembling “prisons” and some utilize the look of “cheap metal.” Meanwhile, they “all look alike and have little architectural value.” Willis dislikes the design and architecture company, Moore-Tate, and their distinct style of stark white siding and dark jutting roofs.

Developments are unavoidable in the city of Austin. Nonetheless, the neighbors in Zilker will do their best to maintain their beloved history and culture among the homes they reside in.

Ben Livingston found this plaque with the words "“Calcasieu Lumber," which means the house was built in the 1920s. Photo by Shelby Custer.

The Little House one day before the relocation process. Photo by Helen Fernandez.

Previous owner of The Little House, Alice Parrish, wrote a note in the voice of the old home. Photo by Shelby Custer.

Police show up late at night to oversee the removal process and transfer of the house into the streets. Photo by Shelby Custer

Rubble in the backyard of 811 Kinney Ave. Photo by Helen Fernandez.

The back side of The Little House. Most of the house has been renovated and improved over the years. Photo by Helen Fernandez.

Susan Willis has lived in her home for 38 years. She doesn't appreciate the McMansions that are being built in the neighborhood. Photo by Shelby Custer.

Ben Livingston gives the house one last walk around before it is barred for removal. Photo by Shelby Custer.

The Little House is being moved 36 miles away to Wimberly, Texas. Photo by Shelby Custer.

The entrance of The Little House, located at 811 Kinney Ave. Photo by Shelby Custer.

Ben Livingston talks about the historic things he's found inside the home. Photo by Shelby Custer.

A truck pulls the little house away from the land. Photo by Shelby Custer.

Construction of a new home in the Zilker neighborhood. Photo by Shelby Custer.

A truck pulls the little house away from the land. Photo by Shelby Custer.

The Moore-Tate homes are among the tallest homes in the neighborhood. Photo by Shelby Custer

Workers crowd the streets on the night of the removal. Photo by Shelby Custer.

A truck pulls the little house away from the land. Photo by Shelby Custer.

A smaller house in the Zilker neighborhood. Today the neighborhood is being clustered by McMansions the older residents are not too happy about. Photo by Shelby Custer

A Moore-Tate house in the Zilker neighborhood. Photo by Shelby Custer.

Another little house in the Zilker neighborhood. Photo by Helen Fernandez.

To passersby, the small, unassuming studio on Manor Road doesn’t look like much. The big, yellow “Brass Ovaries” sign is the only thing that hints at what’s inside, and that doesn’t say a whole lot if you’re unfamiliar with the name. Every now and then, someone will knock on the door and ask if it’s a bar.

But for many locals, it’s an empowering safe place, where pole dancing and aerial arts can be practiced without judgment. It’s a welcoming environment where beginners can take up a new sport, dancers can sharpen their skills and even bachelorette parties can get free lessons.

“There’s such a wide variety of what people are looking for when they come here to Brass Ovaries,” said Sophie, studio director and lead instructor. “We have people that come that just want to train to do competitions and want to be the best pole dancer in Texas…but usually people just want to have fun and to have a workout that’s interesting and not at a gym.”

An intimate setting like Brass Ovaries provides a camaraderie among clients that is hard to find under a gym’s fluorescent lighting.

“We make a very unified sort of feeling in our classrooms,” Sophie said. Whether athletes come in to try pole or the fitness-challenged want to get toned, everyone starts at the same level, she said.

Brass Ovaries has two pole dancing studios where instructors teach daily classes. In the main studio, students can practice their moves and get one-on-one feedback from the instructor (Photo by Larisa Manescu)

Brass Ovaries was founded in 2007, formerly located in a “seedy” spot behind a car wash on South Congress. Natasha Bajic, owner and “head ovary,” is a Bosnian war veteran with a degree in neuroscience.

After focusing on anthropology and the human brain, she has dubbed her approach to pole dancing as “releasing your inner monkey.”

“Everybody’s a natural pole dancer,” Bijac said. Being on our iPhones all day contradicts our natural body movements, and pole allows people to reconnect with that physical activity, acting as an antidepressant that has the power to change people’s lives both physically and mentally, she said.

Pole dancing is a lot less glamorous than it’s made out to be. On a daily basis, you’re more likely to find class participants doing pull ups and nursing bruises, better known as “pole kisses,” than strutting around a pole in stilettos. That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with the performance aspect of pole dancing, a service that Brass Ovaries also provides.

“Beauty is pain,” Sophie said. “Pole dancing is beautiful and painful. Your body gets more accustomed to the abuse of pole dancing; your muscles get stronger and your skin does less work…The bruising never stops, but it does get easier.”

A “Pole Bruise Map” is posted on the bulletin board at Brass Ovaries showing body parts that are prone to bruising, which are widely referred to as “pole kisses” by the pole community. Brass Ovaries instructor Sophie says that the pole kisses never fully go away, but that the longer a dancer practices, the more accustomed they get to the abuse. (Photo by Alex Vickery)

Instructors can even tell what moves someone has been practicing based on what bruises they have.

“I have gotten bruises in places where I never thought I’d get bruises,” said Alice Liu, a UT business honors senior and avid, though novice, pole dancer.

Liu first visited Brass Ovaries about a year ago for fun with a friend. After one class, the lifelong dancer was hooked.

“After learning the basics, pole is fundamentally a type of dance, which is what I love,” Liu said. “[You] build on that foundation with different techniques and your own artistic stylings. It’s a lot of fun because you can basically come up with your own routines to whatever music you want.”

She has even installed a pole at home so she can follow up weekly classes with at-home strength conditioning. Liu has noticed a significant physical change in the tone and strength of her body, but pole dancing is a mental workout as well.

“Pole dancing is so empowering,” she said. “You don’t need to have a big butt or bust or conform to any kind of ‘conventional’ view of beauty. You don’t have to be anything that you aren’t to feel sexy or strong and pole dance.”

Sophie thinks that this is one of the most important aspects of the sport.

“There’s this balance of real physicality, and then self expression, grace and beauty,” she said. “I think our clients get that confidence through the self expression that they’ve maybe never found before in any sort of fitness aspect.”

For Sophie, pole is empowering, sexy and fierce. She worked in gentlemen’s clubs to finance her bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Dance from the University of Texas, which she received with honors in 2007. Since then, she’s made her passion for erotic performance a full-time job.

For Bijac, pole is strictly a sport. “There is no dancing in my poling,” she said. “But my friend explained it like this: same pole, different swing. People can explore pole dancing on their own and make their own decisions about what pole means to them.”

Everyone has their own interpretation of pole; the community is supportive but by no means exclusive. Brass Ovaries encourages people of all levels and backgrounds to join. A few men come into the studio on a regular basis, and one of the instructors is male.

Sophie tells us a story of how a man began taking classes there after seeing his wife participate. Now 60 pounds lighter, he has been a regular part of the pole community for years alongside his wife.

That type of addiction is quite common, Sophie said.

Head pole instructor and city planning engineer for the City of Austin Odette Tan began as a client before working her way up at the studio. She’s dropped from a size 12 to a size two.

“It’s such a weird tangent of fitness, but people that love it become obsessed with it, and it’s a really healthy obsession,” Sophie said.

Pole students take several minutes to stretch before starting their weekly advanced pole class at Brass Ovaries. (Photo by Alex Vickery)

Before pole dance class starts, students take time to warm up their bodies to avoid strains during practice. Teachers at Brass Ovaries stress the importance of full body stretching before working their moves on the pole. (Photo by Lingnan Ellen Chen)

Odette Tan, head instructor at Brass Ovaries, demonstrates a pole move to students in class. Tan says she got addicted to pole dance as a client 3 years ago and went from a size 12 to size 2 through pole. She holds an award winning title for pole dancing. (Photo by Alex Vickery)

Pole dance student Deniece prepares for a move on the pole. (Photo by Larisa Manescu)

Brass Ovaries sells bottles of body grip at their main studio on Manor Road, which dancers use to add friction to their bodies for decreased slip and better performance. (Photo by Larisa Manescu)

Advanced pole classes require a great deal of core strength and flexibility. Brass Ovaries also offers ballet and contemporary based classes to help students train for pole. (Photo by Alex Vickery)

Pole student Kelley spins on a pole. (Photo by Lingnan Ellen Chen)

Instructor Odette Tan demonstrates a move with student Michelle Huey in an advanced pole dance class. A two-person pole move is an advanced pole skill that requires dancers to have lots of experience and training. (Photo by Lingnan Ellen Chen)

In addition to providing classes, Brass Ovaries sells merchandise in the lobby, including sex toys, heels and clothing. (Photo by Alex Vickery)

High heels for pole dance performance are available at Brass Ovaries. Brass instructor, Sophie says that the heels are specifically designed so that pole dancers can wear the shoes for hours on end. (Photo by Lingnan Ellen Chen)

Despite being a tight-knit group, sometimes outsiders have a hard time understanding the intricacies of pole dancing as a sport and art form. Among the positivity–the studio won the Austin Chronicle’s award for “Best Fantasy Fitness” in 2011–the studio has also received its fair share of backlash due to the stigma often associated with pole dancing culture.

There’s usually two reactions when men come into Brass Ovaries, Sophie described. They either think it’s really “crazy and intimidating” or they treat it with a “snide condescending embarrassment.”

“Men that have a healthy respect for women and feminism come in with an open mind and a huge curiosity, but there’s still a stigma,” Sophie said.

Natasha even prefers to call them pole athletes as opposed to pole dancers because “pole dancers” comes with a negative stereotype.

Some of the women we spoke with were reluctant to share their names, as they don’t want pole dancing associated with their professional or public lives.

“In my private life, I’m proud to be a part of such an empowering and supportive community,” Liu said. “However, professionally, I typically withhold the fact that I’m an avid pole dancer, unless someone happens to outright ask about it. I think the stigma comes from a lack of understanding, as is true for many stigmas.”

Liu added that she hopes that one day pole dancing will be treated with the respect and admiration it deserves.

“In the end, pole dancing is an artistic outlet, an athletic feat, and empowerment movement all in one.”

*Some of the Brass Ovaries students preferred to use only their first names to protect their privacy.

Lily Pipkin, UT student, made it to the Flawn Academic Center to vote early on Election Day.
Photo by Anna Daugherty.

One of the University Democrats' "Democracy Dogs," Riley, helps remind people to vote.
Photo by Anna Daugherty.

The West Mall was covered in political signs leading up to the election.
Photo by Anna Daugherty.

Reminders posted along Guadalupe Street encouraged students to vote on Election Day.
Photo by Anna Daugherty.

The line at the Bryker Woods Elementary School polling place was shuffled through the doors for last minute voting on Election Day.
Photo by Olivia Starich.

The Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Participation focuses on ways to get young people involved in politics, increasing Texas voter turnout.
Photo by Anna Daugherty.

The Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Participation hosts events to engage college students throughout the year, such as the election recap panel. Photo by Anna Daugherty.

A panel hosted by The Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Participation discusses the election outcome.
Photo by Anna Daugherty.

Texas is a state steeped in tradition.

From maintaining its cowboy heritage through rodeos to football tailgating, Texas prides itself on upholding a history of consistency.

Among Texas’ less admirable traditions is the state’s low voter turnout, which consistently ranks among the lowest in the country. The state’s figures for the National Election, which took place last Tuesday, are no exception.

Recent efforts to synchronize the mayoral and city council election schedule with the national elections and the rapid growth of Texas cities outpacing others in the nation could have helped boost turnout for last week’s national election. Despite these changes, voter turnout in the Lone Star state was down 271,000 votes from the 2010 elections, with approximately 33.6 percent of the 14 million registered voters showing up to the polls.

This midterm election was a historic election for both Texas and Austin. It was the first election during which the voter ID law was implemented and the election with the most open seats since 1906. The gubernatorial race also gained national attention early in 2014 when candidate Wendy Davis, known for her 2013 filibuster on women’s reproductive rights, was officially pitted against now governor-elect Greg Abbott.

The Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life, housed in the University of Texas’ School of Journalism, aims to improve civic engagement in Texas through nonpartisan research and education.

According to the 2013 Texas Civic Health Index report by the Annette Strauss Institute, Texas ranked 51st in the nation for voter turnout in 2010. Texans ranked 42nd for voter registration with 62 percent of voting-eligible citizens reported being registered to vote.

Regina Lawrence, director of the institute, said Texans likely do not vote because they are convinced that an individual vote will not make a difference. While this may be true for larger national elections, Lawrence suggests that offices at and below the state level are more easily impacted by individual voters.

“You may or may not know that some of our local legislators, our local representatives were chosen in their last election by literally a handful of votes, 10, 15, 20, 50 votes” Lawrence said. “So in that context, your individual vote actually matters quite a bit.”

At the local level, the election marked two important firsts for Austin. The November election was the first time for the mayoral and city council election to coincide with the federal election schedule. Austin constituents also voted for the first group of City Council members under the 10-ONE system. Under this system, council seats changed from six city-wide representatives to a council of 10 representatives, one for each geographic district in Austin. Many races went into run-offs, so results are not conclusive.

On a statewide scale, results proved disconcerting for members of the Democratic party as Republicans swept most statewide offices, including the highly-contested Governor and Lieutenant Governor positions.

Gilberto Hinojosa, chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, suggested that a voter identification law enacted in 2011 may have dissuaded voters from going to the polls. Hinojosa maintains that many of those would-be voters might have been Democrats, which could have resulted in a different outcome.

The voter ID law, introduced and passed as SB 14, is undergoing review in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after being ruled unconstitutional last month,and remains a contentious issue following the Texas elections.

According to the appeal, approximately 600,000 voters may have been disenfranchised; however, there is currently no concrete calculation of disenfranchised votes. The impact of SB 14 on voter turnout or the outcome of major races cannot be determined.

Regardless of the effect SB 14 might have had on voter turnout, Texas’ civic participation remained habitually low, with early estimates suggesting that Texas out-voted only Indiana by a small margin. Other factors are deterring would-be voters from casting their ballots.

A 2012 U.S Census Bureau election report shows that the two most common reasons for not voting among constituents ages 18-44 years old were, “too busy” and “not interested.” Texas is also poorly-ranked on other civic health measures. Texas residents ranked 49th for contacting elected officials, and 44th for discussing politics a few times a week or more.

“The phrase you’ll hear is that Texas isn’t a red state, it’s a non-voting state, and it’s very true,” said Max Patterson, president of University Democrats. “A lot of people don’t understand the impact of their vote because they have that mentality that this is a red state, it doesn’t matter, especially on the local levels.”

A single vote carries less weight at the national level, which is why Lawrence suggests that collective action, driven by grassroots political discussions and information sharing via social media, is imperative to make large-scale change.

Lawrence and Patterson agree that the power to increase participation and produce change lies in increasing voting numbers and in improving civic engagement. Analysis of voter demographics shows that one of the nation’s largest demographic groups is still missing from the polls: millennials.

Despite constituting 52 percent of the world’s population and numbering 86 million in the United States, millennials have the lowest voter turnout nationwide. Their absence in the polls is troubling since political issues such as unemployment and debt management directly affect them. Millennials lay claim to a 40 percent unemployment rate and 70 percent of the group has an average personal debt of $30,000.

In its efforts to get millennial voters involved and thinking about politics, the Annette Strauss Institute holds civic fairs, similar to science fairs, for middle and high school students, where students develop a project around an issue of interest.

“[Research shows that] when you ask students to get actively involved with something and they get to decide what the problem is and what the solution is, that that’s really empowering and that those young people do tend to go on and vote more consistently once they’re old enough to vote,” Lawrence said.

The institute also hosts post-election debriefings for the Austin and UT communities in addition to other programming designed to get would-be voters talking about issues in their communities.

The key to boosting Texas’ voter turnout likely lies in driving millennials to the polls. Lawrence’s work with the Annette Strauss Institute and outreach efforts by student-led organizations such as UT’s University Democrats continue to entice students towards a higher level of civic engagement. However, until obstacles such as personal time constraints and lack of interest can be negotiated by young would-be voters, the quest to boost voter turnout in Texas could continue to be an uphill battle.

The UT Micro Farm is the university’s first student-run farm. Photo by Elizabeth Williams

By Briana Franklin, Breanna Luna, Joe McMahon and Elizabeth Williams

Sustainable and organic produce is not something UT is known for, but a plot of land on the east side of campus is trying to change that.

The UT Micro Farm is the university’s first student-run farm. Established in 2012 as a Green Fee project, the farm occupies about a fifth of an acre near Disch-Falk Field. The farm grows vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs to be sold to various markets and donated to a local food shelter. Students practice organic farming and hope to eventually be a sustainable farm.

“I thought it was really fascinating to see where food came from,” said Stephanie Hamborsky, the farm’s development assistant, on beginning her work with the micro farm. “I got really excited about really taking charge of this farm and turning it into something that the whole community knows about and providing people with affordable and sustainable produce.”

Austin is home to more than 10 urban farms and 30 community gardens that provide local restaurants, grocers, farmers markets and communities with items ranging from fresh produce to free-range eggs to mealworms. The micro farm, as its name suggests, runs like a farm on a much smaller scale.

Katie Lewis, a sophomore biology and pre-veterinary major, is the farm’s manager. She said that the farm provides a special experience to student life.

“Organic farming and working with my hands and being able to grow things has always been a passion of mine,” Lewis said. “It’s nice to be able to express that while at school.”

Students manage the day-to-day operations of the farm, from tilling the soil to planning crop irrigation. While they have access to campus advisors and resources, much of what the students do is learned on their own.

Edgar Navarrete, a third-year nutrition major and the farm’s fertilizer specialist, has been volunteering at the farm since the Fall semester began. He said that learning on the job is a major part of working on the farm.

“Learning a position here is tough,” Navarrete said. “It’s like taking another class.”

“I got really excited about really taking charge of this farm and turning it into something that the whole community knows about…” – Stephanie Hamborsky

The farm is a hands-on experience where students can gain a better understanding of where their food comes from while contributing to the local food economy.

Hamborsky, a junior plan II and biology major, said that one of the farm’s biggest goals is to change Austin’s food economy by providing organic food to a growing city.

“We want to engage the local community to come out because one of the biggest problems in Austin is the disparity between East Austin and central Austin,” Hamborsky said. “East Austin is essentially a food desert. There aren’t a lot of sources for organic, local foods here and there aren’t a lot of accessible grocery stores in their area, so we’d like to provide affordable produce.”

While the farm aims to transform the city’s food market, the group still faces an essential hurdle.

“We do have some students who come out to volunteer in big groups, but a lot of times it’s difficult to retain volunteers,” Hamborsky said. “I think that definitely being in a big city and school that doesn’t have an agricultural focus, it’s hard to find students that are interested in this.”

One of the challenges nutrition major Edgar Navarrete faces as a volunteer is the learning process. Obtaining the position as a fertilizing specialist is like taking another class at UT, he says. Photo by Elizabeth Williams

Depending on the day, tasks for volunteering may include removing grass, spreading compost and mulch, planting seeds, harvesting, raking, and watering. Photo by Elizabeth Williams

The use of non-organic herbicides, pesticides, or fungicides is prohibited, as well as synthetic fertilizers and planting GMO seeds. Photo by Elizabeth Williams

The farm is looking to build a rainwater harvesting system in the near future, to decrease our dependence upon the city-provided water utility. Photo by Elizabeth Williams

With scarce sources for organic local food in East Austin, UT Micro Farm hopes to engage the community to come out and buy from them. Photo by Elizabeth Williams

In addition to fresh fruits and vegetables, the UT Micro Farm also grows flowers to be sold to the university dining halls and at their farm stand. Photo by Elizabeth Williams

The UT Micro Farm will grow food primarily for use in UT dining halls, for sale at a student-run, on-campus farm stand, and to donate to a neighborhood food shelter. Photo by Elizabeth Williams

Located on 2204 Leona St. in East Campus, students and faculty are welcome to volunteer on Tuesdays 4-7pm and Saturdays 9am-noon. Photo by Elizabeth Williams

Adhering to organic protocol, UT Micro Farm produces food with specific methods. For instance, composts that contain eggshells cannot be used since it is an animal product. Photo by Elizabeth Williams

Getting the university community involved has been a constant challenge for the micro farm. Open volunteer work days at the farm occur during the week. Students also sell their produce at both the HOPE Farmers Market and their own stand in front of the farm, but establishing a reliable volunteer and customer base is an ongoing battle.

“I talk about it all the time and my friends are like ‘what’s that’?’” Lewis said. “I think as an organization, that’s one of our biggest challenges — getting students to know that we are here and getting them to volunteer.”

Through social media and campus farm stands, the students hope to impact Austin’s food community for good.

“We have a lot of biology and environmental science majors volunteering because there are a lot of scientific aspects to farming,” Hamborsky said. “But what a lot of students don’t know is that we need students from all backgrounds to help out.”

Piece created by Rone, an artist originally from Australia who is famous for doing portraits. The piece is located on the corner of 5th and Pedernales street. (Credit: Jamie Balli)

When it comes to fine art and street art in Austin, the lines get a little blurry.

A sense of vibrant creativity has defined Austin for many years now. The city is best known for its colorful live music scene, filled with artists working in a variety of genres. But more recently, Austin has staked out a reputation for being a place for the advancement and exploration of art.

Austin’s famed Castle Hill Graffiti Park on Baylor Street downtown exemplifies this. The large collection of graffiti and street art is now considered a local destination, something tourists and travelers passing through make a point of seeing before they leave.

Street art, such as that which is on display at the park, has spread throughout Austin. Murals around town, like the University Co-op at the University of Texas campus, serve as examples of street art’s influence.

But as Austin grows and more people bring their business to the city, a new market has emerged for private commissions, pieces tailored more for an individual than for public perusal. Thus began the demand for Austin’s artists to produce fine art.

This piece done by Sloke, Rei, and Spain is located behind Kasbah Hookah Lounge on 28th and Guadalupe street.The camel is designed to compliment the Moroccan lounge. (Credit: Jamie Balli)

Jake Bryer of Austin Art Garage sees fine art as being far different from its street cousin.

“There are some defining characteristics separating street art and fine art,” Bryer said. “Street art is more about communicating on a large scale with the general public, while fine art is more about connecting on an individual level.”

This separation makes for some important differences in the actual creation of each piece. While fine art is meant to be owned by an individual and must suit the taste of a buyer, street art can be created free from such concerns. An artist is better able to communicate their own message or push perceived boundaries.

But there are financial issues which must be considered. For all the good a message sent might do, it won’t necessarily put food on the table. And even if an artist does decide to focus on monetary gain, there’s no guarantee that they’ll be able to sustain themselves.

Rachel Stephens of the Wally Workman Gallery sees many artists who face these kinds of struggles, and attributes some of that difficulty to a customer base that can’t keep up with the number of aspiring creators in town.

“Even today, very few galleries are able to survive because the collector base is still somewhat limited,” Stephens said.

Stephens sees adaptability as key for local artists trying to make a career out of their passion.

“I think that many Austin artists become jacks of all trades, as not many of them have been able to support themselves solely with their fine art,” Stephens said.

Artists may also be helped by having a willingness to expand the breadth of their work. Some residents who have an appreciation for Austin’s reputation for public art displays may wish to see similar works commissioned for themselves, blurring the line between art that is categorized as “fine” or “street.”

The Virgin Mary, a piece created by Sloke and Rei is located on Cesar Chavez and Pedernales street. It was created with other art pieces around the wall that are dedicated in celebration of Dia de los Muertos. (Credit: Jamie Balli)

“Who really defines fine art? I think the pieces of street art that go beyond self-serving graffiti and intelligently speak to a larger context can be considered fine art,” Stephens said.

While this may be true, Bryer is quick to note that, in his experience working in a gallery, he has found that not everything that works on the side of a brick wall can be expected to sell and generate income for an artist. Even if it isn’t purely self-serving.

“Not everyone wants a skull painting in their kitchen,” Bryer said.

While making it work as an artist and finding the right middle ground between one’s passions and the realities of the art business may be difficult, it can be done. Roshi K works as an artist in Austin and has produced many commissioned pieces for clients, such as Fun Fun Fun Fest and the Victoria Festival. She has found that the key to transitioning from working on the street to being a professional may lie in making the right connections and aggressively pursuing clients.

“(You need to) do well at marketing yourself and putting yourself out there, and you’re working and talking with people, which means you can’t be shy,” Roshi said.

Roshi also emphasizes the importance of striking the right balance between quality and quantity, producing enough to work to create a healthy reputation while also making sure that each piece is up to one’s standards.

And having some talent doesn’t hurt either.

“It’s one of those things where if you’re producing a ton of amazing pieces, of course that’s going to be more likely to catch a lot of people’s attention,” Roshi said.

The caterpillar smoking hookah is a promotional piece by Sloke, Spain, Mez and Site for Kasbah Hookah Lounge. The piece is located behind the business along with other designs. (Credit: Jamie Balli)

The character Aladdin is featured in a piece by Nate that is located behind Kasbah Hookah Lounge on 28th and Guadalupe street. The piece ties into the Moroccan theme. (Credit: Jamie Balli)

This art piece displayed on the wall outside of Love Goat, a local bar near West Campus, matches the name of the bar by featuring a goat in the image. (Credit: Jamie Balli)

A promotional piece for Espolon Tequila, located on 6th and Red River street. (Credit: Jamie Balli)

This art piece located behind Cisco's restaurant, illustrates a Hispanic theme that is combined with a creative twist. (Credit: Jamie Balli)

This Mario themed piece, completed by Sloke and Spain, was created as a design for the children in the local neighborhood. It is located on 5th and Springdale street. (Credit: Jamie Balli)

Sloke, featured by his piece that was completed with contributions from Mez and Wizart in 2014. The piece is located at 405 Springdale st. (Credit: Jamie Balli)

Niz, an artist known for stencil art, created this piece which is found on 5th and Pedernales street. (Credit: Jamie Balli)

The Livestrong Mural, located on 5th and Pedernales street, was completed by Mr. Cartoon who is an artist from Los Angeles, California. The piece, created about three years ago, uses elements of spray can art. (Credit: Jamie Balli)

Austin Metal and Iron Works mural, located on 4th and Medina street, was designed by artists from California, Chicago, Texas, and Ohio to mark the 100 year celebration of the recycling company. The jungle-themed mural was completed for the recycling company during SXSW and is a tradition that takes place almost every other year. (Credit: Jamie Balli)

If you’re looking to unwind after a long and stressful week, going to a 4-day-long festival in the heart of downtown Austin probably isn’t at the top on your list – but you might rethink that after hearing about Wanderlust.

From Nov. 6-9, the Wanderlust Yoga Festival brought Austin yogis to 4th Street and Brazos for four days of diverse yoga classes, music, art and community. Beginner, intermediate and expert yogis alike found classes that fostered physical, mental and spiritual growth and relaxation in a healthy and welcoming environment.

A group of attendees at the Wanderlust Yoga Festival take part in a class. Festival activities were spread out over four days. Photo by Andrew Masi.

Zoe Mantarakis shows off one of her favorite yoga positions. Mantarakis led several different classes at the festival. Photo by Andrew Masi.

Zoe Mantarakis has been teaching yoga in Austin for 14 years. She led five very different classes at Wanderlust Austin this year, embodying the wide spectrum of yoga the festival offered.

She started with a self-empowerment class on Friday morning called “Nectar Within” and a meditative class called “Om Shanti Bliss-out.” Later that evening, she switched gears and led “Boom Boom Pow Black Light,” a collaboration with musician DJ Manny that she called a “party on your yoga mat.” She also taught a class on Saturday on her style of yoga rooted in ancient Sanskrit philosophy, “Yoga Illumined,” and a class on Sunday about self-discipline called “Tapas: Fire Within.”

Though her classes were very different from each other, they were “all on the same spectrum,” Mantarakis said, because they focused on creating community.

“Yoga is about bringing a community together and creating a tribe. So there’s many ways to accomplish that, and all of those ways are yoga,” she said. “So if it’s just sitting still and meditating, that’s yoga. If it’s having a party where we’re conscious and we’re all coming together, that’s yoga.”

Newcomers and expert yogis alike found Wanderlust classes that suited their needs. Festivalgoer Stephan Mazerand has been practicing yoga for about three months. His first love is running, and he discovered yoga as a way to help him stretch better.

Though he’s still a beginner, he was able to find classes at the festival that worked for him and helped him grow.

“The problem is I’m a runner, so I can’t straighten out properly,” Mazerand said. “There’s a bunch of poses. I’m not very good at them, and so the instructor was helping me out a little bit, you know.”

In an effort to get festivalgoers out of their comfort zone, Austin yoga teacher Dani Whitehead hosted an open-to-everyone acroyoga “jam” session. She hoped to get people to try acroyoga for the first time, but also provide an opportunity for advanced yogis to “come out and show off.”

“Acroyoga is kind of like dancing. There’s ballroom, there’s hip-hop, there’s contemporary, there’s ballet,” she said. “It can be for fun, it can be for performance, it can be as a workout, it can be to make friends. You can do anything you want.”

Dani Whitehead demonstrates her strength in a partnered acroyoga session. Whitehead teaches acrobatic partner yoga in Austin, and feats like this draw students to her classes. Photo by Andrew Masi.

Whitehead has been practicing acroyoga for about three years. Though it is more vigorous than traditional yoga, she hopes to get more people into it and grow the community.

Everyone was invited to participate in the acroyoga play session, as long as they did so safely. Photo by Andrew Masi.

“It is such an amazing practice to do with your friend, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your children – and I am all about supporting that coming together and bringing people in, but also staying safe and taking care of each other,” Whitehead said.

Austin yogi Elizabeth Davis led hiking classes at Wanderlust to help people to “take their Austin outside,” expand their consciousness and find the magic in every moment. She urged her hikers to do self-inquiry work and have “authentic conversations” about their negative or shameful thoughts so that they could move past them and appreciate the present.

“Every moment is truly a gift. It’s a gift that we’re even together as human beings,” she said. “I’m so grateful to be a part of this amazing experience and community. It just reaffirms why I’m in the yoga community and why I do what I do. And I just couldn’t be more happy.”

Austin’s festival is just one of the many annual Wanderlust Yoga Festivals held across the U.S. and around the globe, including Canada and Australia. The festivals help grow and connect the many yoga communities across the world, Mantarakis said.

“To me Wanderlust Festival is all about tribe. And that’s essentially what it is. It’s a traveling group of yogis that grows at each spot and cultivates community within a certain location but then also across boundaries,” she said. “Once we’re connected, we’re a tribe. Across state lines, across country lines.”

Wanderlust Yoga Festivals Across the World (map created by Emma Ledford)
Wanderlust Yoga Festivals are held in multiple locations across the U.S. (including Hawaii), Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Click here for the schedule.

April Riggs from High Brew Coffee, a cold press coffee vendor at the festival, offers samples of some of their most popular coffee flavors. Photo by Silvana Di Ravenna.

Wanderlust, an inclusive yoga festival, took place at the intersection of 4th Street and Brazos from Nov. 6-9. Besides the various yoga classes offered, attendees had the opportunity to shop for yoga-related items and clothes from a mix of local and out-of-state vendors. Photo by Silvana Di Ravenna.

Wanderlust Yoga Festival was the perfect opportunity to introduce kids to the benefits of practicing yoga. Families had the chance to enjoy hula-hoop classes, live music and even improvised juggling lessons. Photo by Silvana Di Ravenna.

Austin yogi Dani Whitehead has been practicing acroyoga for three years. She and other instructors hosted an open acroyoga play session for Wanderlust. Photo by Silvana Di Ravenna.

Yoga was not the only star of the show, as music was also a big component of the festival. There were a variety of musicians, from pop-up performances to live performances and DJ sets. Photo by Silvana Di Ravenna.

Kava Threads, one of the out-of-state vendors at Wanderlust festival, is a clothing line that specializes in hand painted products and a favorite among yogis who are looking for natural and unique garments. Photo by Silvana Di Ravenna.

Robin Langstaff-French, owner of Kava Threads, hand-paints all the clothing in her store. Her favorite thing to paint is birds, both because of her first name and because they're "a symbol of freedom." Photo by Silvana Di Ravenna.

Yoga is the perfect alternative to repetitive, straining movements of most workout styles. It can improve posture and help increase body awareness in a gentle and gradual manner. Photo by Andrew Masi.